Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-06-17
A VERMONTER IN JERUSALEM.

The following private letter from Hon.
Timothy c. Smith of Odessa. Russia
former resident of this county, will be
found of interest:
JERUSALEM, May ), 1SS7.
Dedr- Before leaving Egypt | sent
you by mail some little samples of wheat
and corn such as are raised and common
ly used in that country. Perhaps the
same kinds are grown in Vermont, but
think the corn is different. 1t seemed to
me the meal from that kind of corn
would be whittier and make better cake
or bread than our yellow corn: and if so,
it would be worth while to try to have
it become Vermont product. Notwith-
standing the kernel is so small. it is pos
sibly to grow great bags of it. | saw
hundreds of bushels, and no other kind.
The wheat is also a good kind and pro-
ductive.
We left Egypt two weeks ago and came
by way of the Suez canal. Port said and
.Jatfa-from the latter place by carriage
through the plain of Sharon and the
mountains of Judea to Jerusalem. 1t took
all day. The weather was very hot and
the road steep. up and down, after two or
three hours from Jafia. The plain of
sharon is splendid. with its gardens of
orange, lemon and olive trees ON every
side and some lemon trees still hanging
full of fruit. The oranges had mostly
been gathered and the olives were still
very small. The almonds were nearly
ripe.
Here we are 2000 feet above the Medit-
erranean and more than 5000 feet above
the Dead sea. which is seen from the top
OF the Mount of Olives. IA are also the
mountains of Moab beyond. The views
from here all around are chiefly noun
famous. There is Il success sion of noun
tainS with deep, narrow valleys between.
The southeast wall of Jerusalem stands
on the top of Mount Zion. and the valley
of Hinnom. between it and the mountain
of Evil Counsel on the south. is 200 to
300 feet deep-both sides steep and
rocky. y tree on the top of the noun
tain of Evil Counsel is said to be where
Judas hanged himself. Mount Moriah
joins to Zion on the north. the wall run
ming along on the top of this also and
the valley on the east side OF both. the
valley of Jehosaphat, is nearly or quite
as deep as that Of IIinnom on the south.
In this valley, partly up on the opposite
mountain-side. is the village of SLOAN,
the tombs of Absalom, of Zachariah. of
James and of Ieho>aphat, and deep in the
valley the pool of Siloam-whch is
large fountain of clear running water
and the garden of the Kings. The NOUN
tans opposite. on the the other side of this
valley, are the Mount of Ofiense and of
Olives. The Garden of Gethsemane is on
the side of the Olives nearly down in the
bottom of the valley. The tombs of the
Virgin Mary and of Joseph, as also those
of Ananias and Sapphira. are quite near
there The tomb of David and his tower
are inside the city on Mount Zion. The
church of the Holy Sepulchre is in the
middle of the city on the supposed site of
the crucitiXion. The tomb of solomon is
near the site of his palace. close to the
east wall, and is now within the enclosure
of the mosque of Omer The country
and the city are full of objects of inter-
est to readers of the Bible.
We intend to go tomorrow To Bethlehem
and next week to the Jordan and Dead
Sea. 1t is cooler than in Cairo and many
visitors come here from there.